Pommard again

Pommard is a beautiful town with 3 shops, one small hotel/cafe and 2 restaurants. What made it stand out for me is the age of many of the buildings and the totally understated nature of the Domaines giving it a charm and class that must be typical of Burgundy. It is not unusual to see dates etched into the yellow stone from the 18th century, what a story they can tell!

Walking trough the town in search of the most famous names in the region was an absolute pleasure. Ignoring the invitations for degustion in the lesser domaines I was drawn to tiny name plates next to doors perfectly designed for a coach and horses from days gone by. Nothing much has changed here so it would not surprise me to suddenly see huge wooden carts driven by horses delivering their valuable load for destalking and sorting.

I lingered outside Clos des Epeneaux in the hope of seeing the Comte Armand and getting a personal invite in to enjoy wines that compete well with the best Bordeaux can offer. Instead I had to make do with a friendly bonjour from the winemaker in charge of opening up and getting on with the business of the day. I never crossed the threshold, maybe it was English reserve, maybe it was respect and reverence for someone's home but above all it was a sense that the business of winemaking in Burgundy is a very personal family affair and I was neither a relative or guest and had no place there.

Further wandering around the Church in search of Domaine de Courcel only reinforced the understated nature of the family homes and wine making on a small but high quality level. I was politely informed in the only wine shop in the town that making contact with the Comte Armand was a waste of time. "they never answer their phone" (in French) and " their wines are amazing but very very difficult to get hold of". In other words don't bother. I don't know if this was professional jealousy as the shop was owned by Jean Marc Boillot, another on my list to seek out, or it was just respect for the Grand Cru of winemakers in Burgundy.

After a small purchase of JM Boillots Pommard, 2005 no less, and a generic Red Burgundy from Anne-Francoise Gros et Francois Parent, the joining of two great Burgundian dynasties, I went in search of Messr. Boillot. Only seconds away from Chateax Pommard, Boillot has a lovely Domaine, completely in keeping with the history and landscape. Only the silver Masserati outside gave the game away and once again I was reminded where all the wealth in winemaking lies in both Burgundy and Bordeaux.

The more I read and pass through this magnificent region the more I think I am falling in love with it and how terribly traditional and classy the whole of the classic old world of wine really is. Having had the good fortune to visit many of the most famous wine making regions of the world, from California to Otago, Stellenbosh to Mosel, I am still most at home with the elitist, traditional, slightly aloof Chateax and Domaines of old world France.

Puligny Montrachet

Whilst I sip on a very disappointing Chablis, when will I learn there are so many much better wines in this region than C? One such has to be Puligny-Montrachet, a village if you blink you have missed it. In fact driving through the vineyards I was shocked at how so many vines were on the flats. Surely that cannot be right? I will investigate and find out more. Meursault was a touch bigger and represents one of my favourite wines so it was a real pleasure to be driving around and taking in such famous names as Ampeau, Bouzereau, Coche-Dury, Fichet, Javillier, Girardin, Jobard and many many more.

Beaune really is a delight, the Hospices de Beaune is well worth a visit but the wine shops are some of the most informative and well stocked for wine parafinalia I have ever seen in my life. 6 snails cooked with traditional garlic and herbs and a beef bourgignon to die for was a simple lunch washed down with one of the above makes the trip very worth while.

The complexities of wine making in this region seem to be boundless, I love the challenges winemakers make very day, do they use chemicals on the vines or not? Guyot or cordon? Cold or warm maceration? How long for? Remove leafs or not? Added yeasts that are different or not at all? What temperature to restrict fermentation 30 degrees or 35? How long to leave in cask? What wood from which forest to use? All good stuff and all done with land handed down through generations scattered throughout the cote d'or.

A trip to talk to some neighbours is on the cards so bottoms up and cheers.

Pommard

Here I am in the heart of Burgundy and thoroughly enjoying rediscovering a region of France I last visited 26 years ago. I"m pleased to say not much has changed and I love driving around seeing the signs for Beaune, Volnay, Meursault, Chalon, Dijon and many many more. My first Beaune from a local vineyard was sadly disappointing. Watery, thin, lacking complexity and probably best I don't name names. When I was last here I remember some serious tastings over 2 days and an evening meal with Tim Marshall a real guru at the time on the region. Those were the days when Keith Floyd was doing his best to single handedly promote the region, consuming ridiculous quantities of Gevry Chambertain whilst cooking the odd meal, almost as a sideline.

I love this region, a wine drinkers Mecca and everything that epitomises the history of wine and it's pedigree in our lives. Older than many countries Burgundy wine deserves its place in history and deserves to be great. Tomorrow a walk around Pommard is on the cards so I will share my findings with great pleasure and anticipation.

Steve